Faucet Recommendations

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AgBrew12

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I've spent the past two days doing research on various faucets available for use on a kegerator I am building. This research has left me more confused than when I started. :confused:

Perlick, INTERTAP, and Ventmatic, are the ones that appear to be the most used or recommended. However, there seems to be no consensus on which one is best and each has its set of issues...

The Perlicks are great but have a history of leaking. The Intertaps appear to be awesome, but cannot be easily purchased. The Ventmatics cannot be found ANYWHERE! :drunk:

The fourth brand I have seen on kegconnection is the CMBecker. Does anyone have any experience with these?

Also, is the "creamer" function really necessary for serving anything other than a porter or a stout?

Right now I am leaning towards a Perlick 630SS, Perlick 680SS, or the CMBecker V3S.

Thanks and Cheers
 
Yes, the Perlicks (the only one I have experience with) can tend to leak - particularly from the bonnet, and particularly if you (like me) overtighten the bonnet after breaking down the faucet for cleaning.

There's a great option to address that issue though - I know the 525's used a pair of size 14 O-rings in the bonnet (one inside the faucet part that connects to the bonnet, and another just inside the bonnet itself) that can be easily replaced with food-grade silicone o-rings of the same size. I just did this repair to my 525's, and they're like brand new. If I were to add additional Perlicks to my setup, this is the first thing I'd do to them, before they ever saw a drop of beer.
 
AgBrew12 said:
I've spent the past two days doing research on various faucets available for use on a kegerator I am building. This research has left me more confused than when I started. :confused:



Perlick, INTERTAP, and Ventmatic, are the ones that appear to be the most used or recommended. However, there seems to be no consensus on which one is best and each has its set of issues...



The Perlicks are great but have a history of leaking. The Intertaps appear to be awesome, but cannot be easily purchased. The Ventmatics cannot be found ANYWHERE! :drunk:



The fourth brand I have seen on kegconnection is the CMBecker. Does anyone have any experience with these?



Also, is the "creamer" function really necessary for serving anything other than a porter or a stout?



Right now I am leaning towards a Perlick 630SS, Perlick 680SS, or the CMBecker V3S.



Thanks and Cheers
Click to expand...


Perlick 630SS have fixed the leak issue apparently. I have 7 of them and none of them ever leaked.
 
I've been using 3 Perlick 630SS for over a year now and absolutely zero leak issues and they work great.
Highly recommend!
 
I have two of the CMB V3S and they look awesome and pour great. I used the creamer function on a maibock with great success. Can't wait to try it with a bitter I'm about to keg.
 
I have been using 630SS perlicks for about a year and half. I have never experienced a leak. Love them over the standard faucets that came with my tower. Love that they never stick!
 
I have eight (8) 630SS's in my home bar, they work great and do not leak.

I also have four (4) generic forward seal faucets from Amazon that I use on my portable bar. They work fine but do stick, so I would not recommend for an occasional use environment.
 
Why not go for the 650SS? I am running 6 of them with no leak issues. You can adjust the flow to simulate the resistance of a longer run. Without it, you either have to change the line or run into foam issues when you decide to tap a beer that requires a higher carbonation.
 
I have 3 of the CMB V3S and have been very happy thus far. One does tend to drip a bit (maybe my fault for over-tightening something?) but the other two are awesome. The creamer function is kind of cool - just gives you a serving option for a given style. I wouldn't make the buying decision based on that feature, though. Very well made and fairly priced, IMHO. I also would like to try an Intertap - but not worth the hassle/expense for just one...
 
HLSheppard said:
I have 3 of the CMB V3S and have been very happy thus far. One does tend to drip a bit (maybe my fault for over-tightening something?) but the other two are awesome. The creamer function is kind of cool - just gives you a serving option for a given style. I wouldn't make the buying decision based on that feature, though. Very well made and fairly priced, IMHO. I also would like to try an Intertap - but not worth the hassle/expense for just one...
Click to expand...

Leaning that way. I read on kegconnection that the V3S spout can be changed out? Is this true??
 
I'm familiar with the Perlick 525 and 630 series since I have both, and am about to receive an Intertap from Aliexpress shortly (it is in the US and on its way from Chicago).

The whole story appears to be this: The patent holder for the VentMatic, which is again, for the third time defunct, was a former designer for Perlick. Perlick was sued by him for the 425 series which apparently were like the VentMatic and Intertap designs.

Design wise, those are likely the best forward seal faucets. I suppose Perlick thought they could do this on a non-compete or something similar, but they lost when the case hit the courts. The 425's were discontinued.

The 525's were Perlicks patent workaround. Instead of a lever pushing a small shuttle with an O-ring straight into a milled stop, the "Perls" instead used a "floating" O-ring and a ball at the end of the lever shaft. The early design ones had a lever that freely rotated and a plastic bearing cup that had a tendency to start leaking. The later ones were better and slight geometry and lever bonnet changes made the 630's pretty much reliable.

However, there are some issues with the 630 that if you look into you'll understand why there is a tendency for them to drip after a pour. The ball pushing on an O-ring doesn't do it evenly in the whole geometry.

This is a sales video, but it really is a good explanation of the differences of the VentMatic and Intertap design versus the Perlick 525/630 design.

https://youtu.be/h_tvk8iCRCw

As for hassle to get one? It appears that delivery to the US from China on the "non-approved" Aliexpress site is running 7-10 days for most people and the Stainless non-flow control is $31 shipped....

Edited to add: The CMB V2G/V3S's look interesting, but at a tad bit pricey. The pull back the lever for creamer function is pretty cool though. From what little I can tell by what is out there they seem to have a shuttle just like the VentMatics and Intertaps. But for the price of one you are within dollars of a flow control 650SS or a SS FC InterTap. Something to consider.
 
day_trippr said:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=575364
I guess I wouldn't use the FC Perls unless I needed to...

Cheers!
Click to expand...
As a guy who's battled the issue and won, I still consider the 650SS one of the finest faucets available. If a guy is brewing beer, he can certainly address any sulfur issues permanently. My last post on that thread was to share my Skeeter Pee has been on tap for a month with no issues so I'm calling it fixed.

Perlick has always been available, with the others people seem to have to jump through hoops to find them reliably. That makes me wonder about replacement parts when needed (cue the guy who will say he just bought replacement parts with no issue.)

I'm happy with my investment.
 
Hands down, flat out, don't even think otherwise, hassle free, no leaks best taps are the pelick with flow control.I believe the 650ss...I use FOUR FOOT lines with perfect pours every time!!! Did I mention four ft lines,,I thought so..To put it in perspective my wife who rarely pulls a tap gets perfect pours..If that's not the kicker I don't know what is..do it
 
I just saw you bought the other one.The creamer looks pretty cool if it actually will give you a creamier head.Havent heard much about it here.That being said You said your working on a kegerator.So That means a tower.(as opposed to just a faucet in a keezer)The tower gets warm and that's where the flow control comes in.You can dial it down to a trickle for the first pour and then up it for your next pour.Ill never go without flow control again.If it were me(and its not) I would cancel and buy the flow control..The last thing you want with your first keg is a foam headache.
Now that it looks like I'm trying to sell you something(and I'm really not) I have a SS tower with flow control for sale...feel free NOT to buy it but seriously consider the flow control either way
 
The CMB's are sexy, but a bit spendy. I have Intertap's and they work exactly as they should. I got them when Williams was clearing them out, so I paid under $100 shipped for 3 faucets, the stout nozzle, and growler filler.
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
I just saw you bought the other one.The creamer looks pretty cool if it actually will give you a creamier head.Havent heard much about it here.That being said You said your working on a kegerator.So That means a tower.(as opposed to just a faucet in a keezer)The tower gets warm and that's where the flow control comes in.You can dial it down to a trickle for the first pour and then up it for your next pour.Ill never go without flow control again.If it were me(and its not) I would cancel and buy the flow control..The last thing you want with your first keg is a foam headache.
Now that it looks like I'm trying to sell you something(and I'm really not) I have a SS tower with flow control for sale...feel free NOT to buy it but seriously consider the flow control either way
Click to expand...

Appreciate the advice. I'm not installing a tower. It's a top shelf freezer unit and the faucets are going on the front refrigerator door. According to "SCIENCE", I need about 9 feet of beer line for an optimal pour. Is this ideal in the kegerator? Of course not, but certainly doable. To me, the flow control is just another thing to have to clean and another moving piece which will eventually break.

I also chose the CMBs because I think the foaming feature is cool :rockin:

Here is the site I used to determine my beer line length.

http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/
 
Flow control gets cleaned the same way any other tap gets cleaned and "breaking" doesn't happen..I too think the creamer aspect is cool.Post some pics of your beer.I'd like to see that......Brew on:mug:
 
I have 6 of the Ventmatics at home, and they are by far the most solid faucets I've laid my hands on.

I was waiting for them to be available again to replace 4 Perlicks at work that I hated, but after a while I got tired of waiting, so I purchased 4 of the Intertaps.

They are a close second, and as they are actually available, I guess that makes them first.

I really like the auto-close functionality as some folks at work don't push the handles all the way back. I did not need to add the special shanks to accommodate the springs, so I'm thinking of just getting some of the springs and installing them in my Ventmatics at home.
 
Wow, I haven't received my Intertap yet but I think I understand now why they don't drip after a pour and the Perlicks certainly do. The floating O-ring is going to have some beer around it. The milled stop won't. That is the only real complaint with the 630/650 series. There will be a drip or two in your drip tray about 60-90s after the pour is done. The 525's have many more complaints. I am about an expert in getting them to work. (Silicon O-rings #204 and upgrading the lever and bearing cup is necessary. The same #204 O-ring as the forward seal is an improvement for the 630s also).. But really the whole bad features of the forward sealing Perlicks were the patent issue that, as an engineer who's looked at it, never should have been issued in the first place.
 
I definitely would have ordered a ventmatic if they were available. The intertaps also look awesome and I may try one of those out when I am ready to add a couple more faucets (or a FC perlick!).

I'll try to report back on the CMB faucets after I've poured a few draughts through them.

Cheers ya'll:mug:
 
AgBrew12 said:
I definitely would have ordered a ventmatic if they were available. The intertaps also look awesome and I may try one of those out when I am ready to add a couple more faucets (or a FC perlick!).

I'll try to report back on the CMB faucets after I've poured a few draughts through them.

Cheers ya'll:mug:
Click to expand...

I also wanted/tried to buy Ventmatics but I'm sure you can all guess how that turned out... :(
 

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